Conservation status: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
Common name: black-winged myna or the white-breasted starling
Scientific name: Acridotheres melanopterus
Type: Bird
Diet: fruit, nectar, insects
Length: 23 cm
Weight: n/a
The black-winged starling was once an abundant bird, so much so that it was considered a potential rival and threat to the threatened Bali myna. The species has declined, however, for much the same reasons as the Bali starling, principally collection for the caged-bird trade. The black-winged starling is one of the most popular species among collectors; in recent years the number of birds entering the trade has declined as they have become increasingly rare in the wild.
In 2010 the species has been uplisted from endangered to critically endangered by IUCN and it is believed that the population has declined by at least 80% over the last 10 years (three generations).This has resulted in the current wild population now numbering fewer than 50 mature individuals. The species is also potentially threatened by changes in agricultural processes, and scientists are also concerned about genetic variation being lost as escapees mix the three subspecies. Escapees of this species briefly formed a breeding population in Singapore, but that population is now thought to be extinct.
References
- Source: http://www.iucnredlist.org (Image from https://www.inaturalist.org)
- Craig, A., Feare, C., de Juana, E., Sharpe, C.J. & Christie, D.A. (2018). Black-winged Myna (Acridotheres melanopterus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/60876)
- https://www.arkive.org/black-winged-starling/sturnus-melanopterus/
Animals in South-East Asia 